(Audacy) Ahead of the 2023 MLB season, here are Audacy Sports' rankings of the top 10 second basemen in baseball right now.
10. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
Julio Aguilar/Getty ImagesRanking last year: Not ranked
2022 statistics: .257/.310/.451 with 24 home runs, 76 RBIs, 39 walks, .761 OPS, nine defensive runs saved, zero outs above average and 2.7 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 26
Torres hasn't developed into the superstar that he once seemed destined to be, but a move from shortstop to second base did him well in 2022. At second base, Torres grades out significantly better as a defender, and his offensive profile as a slugger is more unique. And hey, he's still only 26, so perhaps his best at the plate is yet to come.
9. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Mike Christy/Getty ImagesRanking last year: 4
2022 statistics: .240/.321/.407 with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, 55 walks, .727 OPS, -6 defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average and a 1.4 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 29
Marte finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 2019 but was then limited to 135 of a possible 222 games over the next two seasons. The former All-Star was healthy enough to play in 137 games in 2022, but his production was underwhelming relative to what he had shown when he was healthy the prior three seasons. If Marte is healthy and re-emerges as a star in 2023, the Diamondbacks have a chance to be one of baseball's most surprising teams.
8. Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
Wendell Cruz/USA Today SportsRanking last year: 3
2022 statistics: .221/.308/.383 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 27 walks, .691 OPS, zero defensive runs saved, -3 outs above average and 0.9 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 28
After back-to-back seasons of finishing in the top 10 in AL MVP voting, Lowe played in just 65 games in 2022, thanks in large part to a cranky back. If healthy, he'll provide quite a bit of pop for a Rays team with hopes of crashing the party in the AL East.
7. Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs
Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesRanking last year: Not ranked
2022 statistics: .281/.327/.410 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, 28 walks, .736 OPS, four defensive runs saved, nine outs above average and 4.0 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 26
A first-round pick in 2018, Hoerner had an excellent 2022 season and is one of the major reasons that the Cubs went 39-31 after the All-Star break. He and new signee Dansby Swanson should form one of the best double-play duos in baseball for the foreseeable future.
6. Jazz Chisholm, Miami Marlins
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesRanking last year: 10
2022 statistics: .254/.325/.535 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs, 21 walks, .860 OPS, two defensive runs saved, three outs above average and a 2.6 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 25
One of baseball's most electric young stars, Chisholm was one of the few bright spots for a Marlins offense that scored an NL-worst 586 runs in 2022. The problem is that after making the senior circuit's All-Star team, Chisholm missed the entire second half with a back injury. Miami added Jean Segura in free agency and will hope for bounce-back seasons from Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler. But if healthy, Chisholm will be their top overall offensive piece.
5. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
Todd Kirkland/Getty ImagesRanking last year: 5
2022 statistics: .247/.294/.409 with eight home runs, 35 RBIs, 16 walks, .703 OPS, -1 defensive runs saved, four outs above average and a 1.1 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 26
The Braves missed Albies' presence in their lineup for much of 2022, as foot and finger fractures limited him to just 64 games. A two-time All-Star, Albies should have better luck health wise in his age-26 season, which is scary for opposing teams considering the Braves still won 101 games last year without him for large stretches of the campaign. Oh, and it's impossible to mention Albies without talking about his contract, which is perhaps the most team-friendly deal in MLB history. A multiple-time Silver Slugger award winner, Albies will make just $21 million over the next three seasons, with comically low $7-million club options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons as well.
4. Jeff McNeil, New York Mets
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesRanking last year: Not ranked
2022 statistics: .326/.382/.454 with nine home runs, 62 RBIs, 40 walks, .836 OPS, three defensive runs saved, seven outs above average and 5.9 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 31
McNeil made his second All-Star Game appearance in 2022, ultimately taking home a Silver Slugger award and winning the NL batting title with a .326 average. His positional flexibility has made McNeil extremely valuable to the Mets the past few seasons, but there's no question that second base is his best position.
3. Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers
Michael Owens/Getty ImagesRanking last year: 1
2022 statistics: .248/.304/.429 with 26 home runs, 83 RBIs, 53 walks, .733 OPS, 11 defensive runs saved, eight outs above average and a 4.2 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 32
A year after he was an AL MVP finalist while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, Semien posted just a .697 OPS in his first half as a Texas Ranger. He rebounded in the second half of the season to post a .777 OPS and, as a natural shortstop, he continues to grade out as one of the best defensive second basemen. Semien seems to put up superstar-caliber production every other season, so the second campaign in a seven-year, $175-million deal should be a special one.
2. Andrés Giménez, Cleveland Guardians
Denis Poroy/Getty ImagesRanking last year: Not ranked
2022 statistics: .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs, 69 RBIs, 34 walks, .837 OPS, 16 defensive runs saved, 12 outs above average and 6.1 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 24
The New York Mets landed arguably the top shortstop in baseball in Francisco Lindor in a trade with Cleveland in January 2021, but the Guardians appear to have made out pretty well on their end of the deal too. Giménez emerged as one of the most complete infielders in baseball in 2022, making his first All-Star appearance, taking home a Gold Glove award and finishing sixth in AL MVP Award voting. The 24-year-old Giménez won't even become eligible for arbitration for the first time until next season.
1. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesRanking last year: 2
2022 statistics: .300/.387/.533 with 28 home runs, 57 RBIs, 66 walks, .921 OPS, -15 defensive runs saved, two outs above average and 6.6 WAR
Age during 2023 season: 33
His connection to the 2017 Astros may affect his ability to get elected to the Hall of Fame after his career concludes, but it's going to be hard to deny that Altuve has a Cooperstown-worthy resume when his career wraps up. Altuve was an All-Star for the eighth time in 2022, taking home his sixth Silver Slugger award and helping the Astros to win the World Series. Set to turn 33 in May, Altuve should record his 2,000th career hit at some point during the 2023 season.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
